


Father-Daughter Conversations

by Trifoilum



Series: Texting Robert [5]
Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, mentions of Marilyn, mentions of Val
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 10:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12033672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trifoilum/pseuds/Trifoilum
Summary: Fathers and daughters, talking. Just not the usual combination.





	Father-Daughter Conversations

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Arm Candy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6819259) by [Unpretty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unpretty/pseuds/Unpretty). 



> This fic is partly me learning other brilliant writers; with the major inspiration being Unpretty's Arm Candy : http://archiveofourown.org/works/6819259/chapters/15566128
> 
> a.k.a, I'm trying to write banters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man paced around. Shaking, heart drumming like crazy, he forced his trembling hands to tap the phone. He was more likely to snap it in two. A text may be enough, but if something happened, who the fuck in her right mind would answer a text from her dad’s neighbor?
> 
> Friend. Lover. The more Robert corrected himself, the more his stomach lurched. Game recognized game; the guy he dated also had the tendencies to cover his own problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was inspired primarily by Unpretty's Arm Candy : http://archiveofourown.org/works/6819259/chapters/15566128 
> 
> a.k.a I'm trying to write banters in general and teenage banters to be specific.

It was supposed to be a joke.

 

**‘Robert.’**

**‘Suppose that Amanda needs help but it’s something really urgent and potentially illegal’**

_‘sure. Your place?’_

**‘Would you help her NO WAIT’**

_‘why’_

_‘she needs help’_

**‘…I can’t believe it. You would do it without knowing what happened?’**

_‘of course. I’m coming to your place now’_

**‘no no’**

**‘Robert.’**

**‘Nothing happened. It’s just a curiosity of mine’**

_‘really’_

_‘you joke about this’_

**‘Well, not a joke, just—She talked about how you would, in her words, ‘Ride or Die’, and—‘**

**‘…Sorry. That’s too much of me.’**

_‘hm’_

_‘okay’_

_‘guess I have a call to make then’_

**‘Wait, what?’**

_‘just kidding’_

 

******************

 

The past him would have reached for a Jack or four at this moment. No, the past Robert wouldn’t even bother. He would just skip to the part where he would drink his feelings away and seek any good hole to complete his circle of suffering. So in a way, he knew he had changed. Whether that was a good thing or not was the question nagging him.

 

The man paced around. Shaking, heart drumming like crazy, he forced his trembling hands to tap the phone. He was more likely to snap it in two. A text may be enough, but if something happened, who the fuck in her right mind would answer a text from her dad’s neighbor? 

Friend. Lover. The more Robert corrected himself, the more his stomach lurched. Game recognized game; the guy he dated also had the tendencies to cover his own problems. In a much healthier way than he did, but still. That brought a murky feeling to the pit of his stomach. The past blurred with what could happen.

The first few nights with the knowledge that _Marilyn would never—_

Val, _how did Val react_ , he didn’t know at all and—

Robert’s own painful sobs, only _it wasn’t Robert and he couldn’t do anything and_ —

 

Yeah, it wasn’t overstepping.

 

He made the call.The dial tone stretched on and on. The idle hand fiddled with a knife. He paced faster in search of privacy. _What a wonderful idea this is_.

 

“Robert?” Amanda’s voice was concerned and _this is overstepping this is a bad idea_. “Is everything okay?”

“Hey,” started Robert, trying his best to sound chill and failing miserably. “Heard you got a problem.”

 

The silence was a special kind of torture, the kind that twisted his gut and drenched his back with cold sweats. Then Amanda burst into laughter and things might not be unsalvageable after all. “Oh! That. No, no—But.” Her tone became mischievous. “I wouldn’t mind if a certain professor left town for a couple of weeks. Or the entire semester, really.”

“What did they do?” His tone came out too threatening. The knife dropped to the ground. Shit.

“Not understanding that students have other classes. Or sleep. Or a social life. Or a life that’s not assignments and quizzes.”

 _Oh._ “So everything’s alright there.” Robert picked the knife and watched the light glinted on the surface.

“Well, no.” She sighed. “ _Everything is going to hell_.” It would have been concerning if not for the girl’s exaggerated voice, and Robert unconsciously smiled.

His somber reply matched her melodrama. “Higher education, it never change.”

“Why is it such a miserable experience?”

“Devils like to feed on broken dreams,” deadpanned Robert. “Or you can always blame capitalism. That also works.”

“Why is everyone so competitive?”

“Same.”

“Why _are_ deadlines?”

“Second verse, same as the first.” Robert could feel the tension inside him crumbling.

“Student loans? Nonexistent job prospects? Generational disappointment? _Cafeteria food_?”

“You know my answer.”

“Were you always this critical against higher education?” asked Amanda.

“I caused a revolution once. Made this angry manifesto. The feds were involved.”

“Pfft. You’re joking.”

“Yeah, yeah,” admitted Robert. It’s not what he’s here for. “But if you ever feel like quitting college and become a grifter, hit me up.” His tone was serious this time.

“Thank you, Robert; just listening to me venting was more than enough.” Amanda softly laughed. Her voice was gentle and steady, assuring him that everything would be alright just like her father.

That meant she could be hiding her own distress like her father.

Robert fiddled with the knife again, as one foot tapped the ground. He tried to make himself sound chill, like his offers were effortless. “…Well. Since we’re here, you don’t have to feel like a burden.” There was a pause and he parroted the lines he learned for himself. “It’s alright to talk about your problems. People love you and would hate to see you feel upset.” It was anything but chill and effortless.

 

Amanda softly hummed.  “Hashtag first world problems. This is typical. And Dad would have low key melted down if I said any of this to him.”

The older man agreed. “He’s worried about you. Most fathers worry about their daughters.”

(Was he being hypocritical? Maybe, but it was not about him.)

Amanda sighed, and _something there_ made him stop tapping his foot. “I know. He worries, I get that. And he's...really kind.”

He gripped his knife, alert for some reason.

“But he has this bad habit of worrying too much and trying too much and trying to solve everyone’s problems.”

Robert grunted. This was irrational but he should run. End this call before everything went to shit.

Amanda sounded frustrated. “I know he would go out of his way to help everyone with their problems. That is…unhealthy.”

_Unhealthy. Because of him._

Robert’s fight-or-flee instinct was fully awakened. The past him would have reached for a Jack or four at this moment. No, he reminded himself again, the past Robert wouldn’t even bother. He would just skip to the part where he would drink his feelings away and seek any good hole to complete his circle of suffering. He knew he had changed, and it’s for the better.

 

“I won’t hurt him,” Robert swore.

“I'm not... talking about you,” added Amanda too late, the surprise and guilt in her voice clear.

“You are, even if you don’t mean it. “

“Robert—“

“I’m not getting this far with just denial. I’m a mess, but I’ll be a man worthy of your dad.”

Admitting was easy. Being accountable was harder. His voice was barely a whisper by the end.

“Thank you, Robert.” Amanda said with emotions. His chest swelled with warmth. “Just—do me a favor? Don’t beat yourself up.”

“No, thank _you_ ,” he replied. “And that’s…not going to be easy, but sure, bring it.”

“If you made a mistake, there’s always the next day to make it better.”

 

See, both father and daughter probably failed to realize how encouraging it was to be allowed to fail and more importantly, to retry.

“Just like your Dad.”

 

From her giggle, Amanda seemed flattered. “I don’t have Dad Tips. Yet.”

He didn’t say anything. Then it’s Robert’s turn to be melodramatic. “Your father has _what_.”

“Yep. Dad Tips. All ninety of them”

“Jesus _fuck_ I should leave town and never look back.” Robert spat on the ground. He could hear Amanda laughing again. “How do you stay with him all this time?”

“The roof over my head, the clothes on my back, the food on my table, and the friends by my side; et cetera. And if you discount all his attempts to be cool, he’s actually pretty cool.”

“You shouldn’t tell your father that.”

“I trust you not to snitch, Mr. Small.”

“Make sure to take care of yourself, and we have a deal.”

“Deal.” A pause. “Sorry for earlier. That’s too much of me,” said Amanda contritely.

 

**‘…Sorry. That’s too much of me.’**

 

That made Robert laughed so hard he ended up coughing. Her father and Alex should be proud. They raised a great daughter.

The older man finally sat down and _breathed_. Nothing was wrong. “Yeah. We good? Any others in your hit list?”

“Just _please_ make sure Dad doesn’t burn the house. Something about mortgages and loans.”

 

_There would always be room in his._

“Okay.”

 

The mischievous tone returned. “If you have nothing else to say, Mr. Small, then shoo. I need to partake in youthful hubris to distract myself from my bleak future.”

“Be careful.” _Don’t drink._

“Haven’t used the knife you gave me yet, Robert. So far so good.”

“Attagirl.”

“If my dad asked, we never had this conversation,” she teased.

“What conversation?”

“That’s what I mean.”

 

The call ended. Robert gave himself a moment, both hands playing with his phone.

He wrote a careful message to Val. _‘if you are free, call me. I miss you. Have a good day.’_

The past him would have reached for a Jack or four at this moment.

But no. He knew he had changed, and it’s for the better.  Robert had been given a chance. And he wouldn’t waste it.

 

******************

 

_‘so’_

_‘ride or die huh’_

_‘okay’_

_‘maybe for some people’_

_‘the front seat is reserved for a man with good dad tips tho.’_

_‘know anyone like that’_

**‘HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW BOBERT’**

**‘DON’T LEAVE ME** **ON READ’**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks for @RebelMage for being a very wonderful beta reader <3

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks for @RebelMage for being a good beta again <3


End file.
